To fill out and file a judgment form in federal court, use Form AO 450 (Judgment in a Civil Case) from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, complete the caption and relief exactly as the court ruled, attach the required supporting documents, and submit it electronically as a separate document for the judge to sign and the clerk to enter on the docket.1United States Courts. Civil Judgment Forms The prevailing party or their attorney usually drafts it. Small mistakes on the form can delay enforcement or disrupt appeal timelines, so the details matter.
What to Put on the Form
Start with the case caption: the court’s name, the names of the plaintiffs and defendants, and the case number. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 10 requires the caption to name all parties in the complaint and include the file number.2Legal Information Institute. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 10 – Form of Pleadings Match the spelling and case number exactly to the original complaint. A minor discrepancy can trigger a clerk’s rejection.
The body states what the court decided and the relief awarded. For a money judgment, list the principal amount, any pre-judgment interest, post-judgment interest, costs, and attorney fees the court allowed. For non-monetary relief such as a permanent injunction, a property transfer, or a declaration of rights, describe the required action with enough specificity that a marshal or sheriff could enforce it without guessing what the judge meant.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 58 requires that every judgment appear on a separate document, distinct from the court’s opinion or order.3Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 58 – Entering Judgment This is not a formality. If the clerk never issues a separate judgment document, the judgment is still treated as entered 150 days after it appears in the civil docket, and appeal deadlines run from that date. The form needs a signature line for the presiding judge and a space for the date of entry. Those two fields transform a proposed order into a binding directive.
Stating Post-Judgment Interest
In federal court, interest on a money judgment begins accruing the day the judgment is entered and runs until the debt is paid in full. The rate equals the weekly average one-year constant maturity Treasury yield published by the Federal Reserve for the calendar week before the judgment date. Interest compounds annually and is calculated daily.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1961 As a reference point, the post-judgment rate for federal civil judgments entered in late March 2026 was 3.70%.5United States Bankruptcy Court – Southern District of California. Post-Judgment Interest Rates The judgment form should state the applicable rate on its face so the debtor and any enforcing officer know exactly what is owed over time.
Redact Personal Identifiers Before You File
Before you submit the judgment or any supporting document, strip out personal identifiers. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 allows filings to include only:
- The last four digits of a Social Security or taxpayer ID number.
- The year of a date of birth.
- The initials of a minor’s name.
- The last four digits of a financial account number.
The filer, not the clerk, bears responsibility for making these redactions. Filing unredacted personal information without a court order to seal it waives the protection entirely.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2 – Privacy Protection for Filings Made with the Court Sensitive identifiers such as driver’s license numbers or immigration registration numbers can be protected through a motion to file under seal.
Documents That Must Accompany the Judgment
A proposed judgment rarely goes to the clerk alone. Several supporting documents complete the package, and missing any of them can stall the process.
- Proof of service. An affidavit or certificate of service showing that the opposing party received notice of the proposed judgment and had a chance to object. Without it, the court lacks confirmation that due process was satisfied.
- SCRA affidavit, for default judgments only. When the defendant never appeared, the plaintiff must file a sworn statement about whether the defendant is in military service. Under 50 U.S.C. ยง 3931, this affidavit must either confirm the defendant is not on active duty or state that the plaintiff was unable to determine the defendant’s military status. You can verify active-duty status through the Department of Defense’s SCRA website at scra.dmdc.osd.mil, which issues a certificate you can attach.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 3931 – Protection of Servicemembers Against Default Judgments8SCRA. SCRA
- Proposed order. A clean draft of the judgment that mirrors the judge’s ruling, ready for signature. Courts typically prefer the prevailing party prepare this rather than leaving it to the clerk.
How to Submit the Form
Electronic Filing
Most federal courts require electronic filing. Upload documents as text-searchable PDFs, not scanned images of printouts.9Judicial Branch of California. California Rules of Court Rule 8.74 – Format of Electronic Documents The e-filing system will prompt you to select the correct filing code, confirm the case number, and pay any filing fee by credit card or other electronic payment. Fees vary by court and case type.
For electronic signatures, most federal courts accept the “/s/ [Typewritten Name]” format in place of a wet signature. The filer’s signature block should include their name, address, phone number, and email address beneath the /s/ line.10United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Indiana. Electronic Signature and Signature Block A scanned wet signature is also acceptable on an electronically filed document. If a non-filer’s signature is needed, such as a party’s original signature on a declaration, the filer must retain the wet-signed original.
Paper Filing
Where paper filing is still available, courts typically want the original document for the court file plus at least two additional copies, one for each party to receive back with a file-endorsed stamp showing the date of acceptance. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you are mailing the package so the clerk can return your stamped copies promptly. Call the clerk’s office beforehand to confirm the exact number of copies and any local formatting quirks.
What Happens After You File
Entry on the Docket
Filing the form is not the same as entering the judgment. Entry happens when the clerk records the judgment in the court’s civil docket.11Legal Information Institute. Entry of Judgment That date matters enormously, because it starts the clock on both post-trial motions and appeals.
The 30-Day Automatic Stay
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 62, enforcement of a money judgment, including writs of execution, is automatically stayed for 30 days after entry.12Legal Information Institute. Rule 62 – Stay of Proceedings to Enforce a Judgment This gives the losing party time to file post-trial motions or post a bond to stay enforcement during an appeal. You cannot levy on a bank account or garnish wages during those first 30 days unless the court specifically orders otherwise.
Appeal Deadlines
In a standard federal civil case, the losing party has 30 days from entry of judgment to file a notice of appeal. When the United States is a party, that window extends to 60 days.13Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 4 – Appeal as of Right – When Taken Certain post-trial motions, such as a motion for a new trial or to alter or amend the judgment, reset the appeal clock; it starts running again only after the court rules on the motion. Missing the appeal deadline usually forfeits appellate review entirely.
Getting a Certified Copy
After entry, either party can request a certified copy of the judgment from the clerk. Banks, employers, title companies, and other agencies will ask for the certified version as proof of the court’s decision. Fees vary widely by jurisdiction, from a few dollars per page in some courts to $40 or more per document in others, so check with the specific clerk’s office before ordering.